Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Geneva, 16 May 2000
N° 72

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is organizing two seminars in Nairobi. The first one (18-19 May 2000), entitled "Parliament and the budgetary process in the context of good governance", is for Kenyan Members of Parliament, and the second (22-24 May 2000), "Parliament and the budgetary process, including from the gender perspective", is a regional meeting for African MPs.

"Many of the parliaments in Africa have only recently acquired real powers to oversee the government, following multi-party elections in the early 1990s. The lack of proper understanding by members of parliament of their role as law makers and overseers of government action has often impeded the work of African parliaments", states the IPU Secretary General, Mr Anders B. Johnsson. Adding that "a clear understanding of how the national budget is drawn up, processed and implemented is crucial to accountability and transparency in government. It is equally important in ensuring the equitable distribution of State resources and guaranteeing the implementation of policies that foster the well-being of the people".

The Secretary General underlines that a gender sensitive budget process is important to ensure that the allocation of resources and the implementation of gender policies do not further disadvantage women.

The Nairobi Seminars will bring together MP's from some 20 English-speaking Parliaments in Africa. The IPU has invited four resource persons to assist in the discussions. They include Mr Colin Eglin, a Member of Parliament from South Africa, Mr J.H. Mensah, a Member of the Parliament of Ghana, Ms Marilyn Waring, a former Member of Parliament of New Zealand and Dr Mbaye Diouf, a senior official of the UN Economic Commission for Africa. The seminars are expected to adopt guidelines for proper parliamentary oversight of the national budget.

The IPU is organising the two seminars in association with the Kenyan Parliament, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the participation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) as well as the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Established in 1889, the IPU, the world organisation of parliaments based in Geneva, currently has 138 affiliated national parliaments and 5 associated regional parliamentary assemblies. It also has a Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York.